Field
Embodiments of the disclosure relate generally to weapons carriage systems for aircraft and, more particularly, to a system for providing the ability to carry and deploy multiple air-to-air stores or air to ground stores using on-board avionics in the carriage that divides a single existing pylon signal set connected through a single generic connector to multiple weapons.
Background
Existing methods to carry multiple Air-to-Air (AA) stores at a single aircraft pylon station require that multiple signal sets be carried from the aircraft stores management system (SMS) to each of the AA stores. This means additional long electrical routing paths to the pylon station given that the. SMS is centrally located on the aircraft. Additionally, this requires retrofit to existing aircraft if these additional signal sets and associated wire routing paths are not in place. Additionally, no carriage system exists that allows for integration of multiple AA or Air-to-Ground (AG) stores at a single weapon station using a common carriage structure and ejector racks.
It is therefore desirable to provide an improved carriage system having the ability to carry multiple AA or AG stores using standard mechanical and electrical interfaces without costly and time consuming modifications to a military aircraft.